|
|
January 23, 2004/Tevet 29 5764, Vol. 56, No. 18
Jews lose a friend
MATTHEW E. BERGER
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
WASHINGTON - The political career of one of Congress' strongest advocates for Jewish concerns may be over.
Rep. Richard Gephardt (D-Mo.), who served as Democratic leader in the House from 1989 to 2002, ended his presidential bid Jan. 20, a day after he captured only 11 percent of the vote and finished a disappointing fourth in the Iowa caucuses, which he won in 1988.
"Today my pursuit of the presidency has reached its end," Gephardt said Jan. 20 in a tearful press conference in St. Louis. "I'm withdrawing as a candidate and returning to private life after a long time in the warm light of public service."
Gephardt, 62, previously had announced that he would not seek re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives, thus ending a Washington career that began when he joined the House in 1977.
"A lot of Jewish Democrats are quite saddened by the apparent end of Dick Gephardt's political career," said Ira Forman, executive director of the National Jewish Democratic Council. "He was always a friend, not just on domestic issues, but on Israel."
Gephardt always was con-sidered a friend on Middle East matters, but Jewish officials in Washington said he became a leader on behalf of Israel in recent years - perhaps because of his aspirations to higher office, but also because of the new international landscape after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
On domestic issues, Jewish supporters said they cannot remember an issue in which Gephardt and a majority of the Jewish community diverged. As the Democratic leader, Gephardt often would hold meetings in his office to plot a path for passage of the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, bringing together Jewish and other civil rights organi-zations.
"I think in general he had a sensitivity for issues that were of concern to us," said Jess Hordes, Washington director of the Anti-Defamation League. "Gephardt was someone you could go to whenever the Jewish community had an issue."
|
